Rogue
A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks. The rogue is stealthy and dexterous, and often charming as well. Where other characters have the power to defeat enemies, the rogue has the wit to track them down and lead the team past traps and barriers on the way to that fight. Culture Rogues have a reputation for thievery but not all rogues are thieves and in Faerûn they are as often diplomats or envoys as burglars. As a whole, rogues are an enormously diverse group and some are acrobats, spies, or swashbucklers, many with complex motivations driving them, although it would be dishonest to say that the skills of a rogue do not lend themselves well to a thief's lifestyle and thieves guilds are found widely throughout the world, such as the powerful Shadow Thieves. Some are masters of stealth, while others prefer other methods of subterfuge. What rogues share is not any one occupation but rather an affinity for mingling with people and finding or getting into things others would rather leave unfounded or unopened. Rogues of all sorts are resourceful and adaptable, having what might be called a “sixth sense” for avoiding peril, which helps them to get out of the dangerous situations that they often finds themselves in. Rogues choose their daring lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Typically, rogues are imagined as selfish burglars and assassins whose sole motive is profit. This is not entirely fair but neither is it wholly untrue and most rogues, regardless of their moral standing, hope to earn something from their exploits. Many rogues seek material wealth but others seek fame, or perhaps infamy, and a few are simply daredevils seeking the thrill of a real challenge. Because of these traits, rogues are most typically in opposition to order and tradition, and are therefore wary of lawful-aligned paladins, though rogues in the service of law and order do exist and rogues are equally likely to be found serving good or evil. Many rogues, regardless of motives or morals, worship Beshaba, Cyric, Oghma, Shar, Sune, Tymora, or Waukeen and most of all, Mask. Thieving rogues are sometimes members of large gangs known as thieves' or assassins' guilds but rogues can come from any number of backgrounds. Most rogues, regardless of their business, are primarily self-taught or learned their skills from a teacher, often a more experienced rogue. These rogues often recruit their students as assistants in various jobs that require their unique skills, from which the younger rogue develops their skills. Partings between the mentor and student are rarely clean and in general, rogues feel little brotherhood unless part of the same guild. In fact, most rogues tend to view eachother with even more suspicion than they do everyone else and most partnerships are short-lived. Humans are among the best rogues, in large part due to their natural adaptability, which fits the modus operandi of many rogues to a letter. Elves and halflings have, due to their physical agility, perhaps an even greater affinity for the life of a rogue. Among the best rogues are those from the tiefling race, whose cunning and aura of confidence makes them well-suited for the rogue's lifestyle. Half-elves also make good rogues, though to a lesser extent as do dwarves of all kinds and rock gnomes or deep gnomes, all of whom are often renowned for their expert skill with disarming traps or picking locks. Half-orc rogues are not entirely uncommon either, though such individuals tend to focus more on using veiled threats and brute strength rather than stealth. Similarly, there are many rogues to be found amongst the more “savage” humanoids, particularly goblinoids. Eladrin of many kinds are often rogues as well. Regardless of race, rogues are most common in Amn, Calimshan, the Cold Lands, the Dragon Coast, Evermeet, the Great Dale, the Lake of Steam, Narfell, the North, the Shaar, Tashalar, and the Western Heartlands. Category:Base classes